Limestone women fall short of Div. II lacrosse title

Sunday

May 19, 2013 at 11:41 PM

LIU Post strikes quick in second half to topple Saints 10-7 for Division II national championship on Sunday in Owings Mills, Md.

By TODD SHANESYtodd.shanesy@shj.com

In a flash, or at least in a matter of minutes that must have seemed like a flash in a season that lasted three and a half months, Limestone's national championship hopes were gone.Down 5-4 in the second half, Long Island University Post scored six straight goals in a span of 6:21 and beat Limestone, 10-7, in the Division II women's lacrosse national championship game at Mustang Stadium in Owings Mills, Md.The second-ranked Saints (20-2) were hoping for their first national title. They made the final game two years ago. Top-ranked LIU Post (20-0) won the championship for a second straight season.“We had our opportunities. Things just didn't go our way at the end,” Limestone head coach Scott Tucker said. “The girls are upset. It was just a large group of seniors and that adds to the emotional aspect of it. They played their last game and it was a loss. It's a disappointment, but we told them to remember all the good things that happened.”Some of those were setting a school record for victories, winning at home (in the quarterfinals against Pfeiffer) for the first time in the NCAA tournament and beating Rollins in double overtime in Saturday's semifinals. Also, junior attack Sarah Oor in the title game became Limestone's all-time leader in points with 260.The Saints will have those fond memories. But the sting of losing in their best chance of a first national championship will be there for a while. LUI Post dominated on draws, 15-4, and those extra possessions in the second half were crucial.“We had trouble clearing the ball and just made too many mistakes in transition,” Tucker said. “We ended turning it over way too many times.”Down 10-5 with 11:18 remaining, Limestone tried to make a run at it. Sylvia Queener scored with 5:16 left and Oor added another at the 3:14 mark.Queener, the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year, scored three goals. Oor, Sam McCarrick, Jessie Aguglia and Katie Farrell each had one. Senior goalkeeper Rashelle McLellan made eight saves. The Saints had only two assists, by Oor and Farrell, while LIU Post had seven on its 10 goals. Jackie Sileo had four goals and Ashley Olen had three. Katie Rotan had a goal and three assists.Limestone was making its seventh straight appearance in the NCAA tournament. The Saints lost to No. 1 Adelphi, 17-4, in the 2011 national championship game.“The bottom line is that we've come a long way,” Tucker said. “This was a lot better than last time. Talent and depth were the biggest differences. Obviously, we have some great players. I think we took a big step with the program.”